Q+A: New Rum, Courtesy of Bob Marley's Manager

Chris Blackwell is known for founding Island Records — the once-independent record label that spread from Jamaica to England and launched the careers of Bob Marley and U2, among others. But it turns out that rum was his family's business, one he had been in line to take over as a young man — until it was sold. And that's something he's never really forgotten. Now he's selling his very own Jamaican rum under his own name: Blackwell. It's characteristically Jamaican, with a dark hue, spice, and slight funk, but there is also an eclectic sweetness that brings something fresh to the genre. Which seems appropriate coming from a guy who managed to strike musical gold across formats and continents over the years. We talked to him recently to find out a little more about the rum and its namesake's island home, but we mostly just wanted to ask about the music.

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ESQUIRE: Is selling rum anything like selling music?

CHRIS BLACKWELL: I used to manage 63 jukeboxes in Jamaica, because it was a way of getting my records heard. A really good friend of mine was a liquor salesman, and many times we'd end up in the same little bar or club. I've always been good at picking things up, and I've learned so much about life from all my ventures. All businesses, in a way, are pretty similar. You gotta have a good product, know you have it, and deal with people honorably.

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ESQ: You've chosen to make Jamaica your home. Maybe this is a dumb question, but why?

CB: I love the country. It's really beautiful, and the people are extraordinary. They're very bright, have a great sense of humor, and they're very creative — as has been proven by all the music that came out of here. I think Jamaica's somehow blessed as an island. And that's why I insisted the rum be a dark, Jamaican rum, made in Jamaica.

ESQ: How did you come to sell reggae in England?

CB: Initially, I was just selling records to the Jamaican community. There was a club in the West End of London called the Roaring Twenties, and they played Jamaican music. Some English kids started to seep in, and I started to sell more records. Later, I brought over this little girl from Jamaica, Millie Small, and I produced a record with her. That was called "My Boy Lollipop," and that was the first big, international hit with a Jamaican beat. And then, of course, Bob Marley.

ESQ: Right, Bob Marley. How did that happen?

CB: I met him in 1972. By then, he'd become quite well-known in Jamaica, but he was considered a rebel and an impossible person to deal with or negotiate with. It was because he was, to use the title of one of his own songs, standing up for his rights, and it was a very corrupt business in Jamaica at that time. I just felt, when I saw him, that he could be a big star. I felt that he really just had it. And I took a risk. I bounced him money without a contract, because I felt like the best way to show I could be trusted was to trust him.

ESQ: What would you say to someone visiting Jamaica today?

CB: Go out and meet the people. Go to a little bar, or go to a little restaurant, or travel around. This is counter to how a lot of the tourism had been in Jamaica. It had a bad reputation, but I think things are much better.